Grant part of National Endowment for the Arts announcement of 78 Arts in Media grants and $3.55 million in funding nationwide

San Francisco— National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced today that Gray Area Foundation For The Arts (GAFFTA) is one of 78 not-for-profit national, regional, state, and local organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Arts in Media grant. GAFFTA is recommended for a $100,000 grant to support the development and implementation of a series of data-driven art works intended for the public. The 78 Arts in Media grant awards total $3.55 million, and support the development, production, and national distribution of innovative media projects about the arts and media projects that can be considered works of art.

The National Data Canvas project will distribute data-driven digital art in urban environments across the United States and will include a mobile application for public use. Utilizing Data.gov, the project will allow the general public an enjoyable and engaging way to discover new information through artistic data visualization and interactivity.

Chairman Landesman said, “While Americans across the country are experiencing art live and in person every day, NEA research has shown that more than half of American adults also consume the arts via electronic media. I am thrilled to announce these Arts in Media grants and look forward to the organizations’ efforts to reach ever wider audiences and create innovative new works of art.”

GAFFTA’s Executive Director, Josette Melchor, said, “The world is experiencing data overload. The digital exhaust is providing a new medium for artists, and they are exploring ways of making sense of this constant stream of digital information. We are honored to receive the top recommendation in the Arts in Media category and looking forward to exploring this new field with the NEA”

The NEA received 329 eligible applications under the Arts in Media category, requesting more than $36 million in funding. Grant amounts range from $10,000 to $100,000 with an average grant amount of $45,513 and a median of $40,000. Gray Area Foundation for the Arts is among the 25 percent recommended for funding and is one of the largest grants–a sign of organizational strength and creativity.

GAFFTA’s mission is to make digital culture accessible, substantive, and inspiring by humanizing technology through creative and social digital experiments, and to unlock unexpected innovation by bringing together art, design, sound, and technology.

About Gray Area Foundation for the Arts (GAFFTA)
Headquartered an art and technology center in San Francisco, GAFFTA serves a diverse community of creative coders, data hackers, engineers, composers and technologists. GAFFTA supports programs aimed at the production, research, and dissemination of digital culture where art, science, technology, and society intersect. Learn more at http://gaffta.org

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